Italian FM: Progress seen in negotiation process on Karabakh conflict

By Azernews

By Sara Israfilbayova

There is a progress in the negotiation process for the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Italian Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi made the remarks at a meeting of the Permanent Council of the OSCE, TASS reported.

The minister noted that the progress of the negotiation process between Azerbaijan and Armenia on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, despite the past elections in both countries, adding that the OSCE should be a platform for a constructive dialogue between the West and the East.

 “The idea of security used to be based on the principle of possessing and acquiring information, today security and the response to the challenges of our time depend on the exchange of information and cooperation,” the minister stressed.

Since  1992,  the  Nagorno-Karabakh  conflict  has  become  predominantly  a  problem  of  international  importance.  After  Azerbaijan  became  a  member  of  the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE),  in  accordance  with  the  principles  of  this  organization,  the  solution  of  the  Nagorno-Karabakh  conflict  was  in  the  focus  of  public  participants.  Soon  it  was  established  the  OSCE  Minsk  Group  for  settlement  of  the  conflict. 

Negotiations for a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are underway within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. Azerbaijan insists on maintaining its territorial integrity, Armenia defends the interests of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.